We drove the middle children from Ford and Chevy's wide lineup of Mustangs and Camaros to put a new twist on this 45-year rivalry.

Ford Mustang Boss 302 vs. Chevy Camaro SS 1LE

Ford Mustang Boss 302 vs. Chevy Camaro SS 1LE

The standard Camaro SS is often criticized for fun-sapping understeer, but a new 1LE option for the SS addresses this head on and then some. Upgrades include larger front and rear antiroll bars, new spring and damping rates, a strut tower brace, a closer-ratio six-speed manual transmission, a 3.91 final drive ratio, and sticky Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G:2 tires (plus appearance and aero tweaks). The aim was better balance and cornering—two areas in which Ford's Mustang Boss 302 shines. The Boss is a high-revving track-day specialist with a nimble chassis and brilliant steering feedback. Obviously, a race was in order.

Weekend track junkies aren't concerned with 0-to-60 mph and drag-racing results, so lap times and maximum cornering grip ("max lat") were the metrics we'd hunt for. At GingerMan Raceway we fitted a Boss 302 and a Cam­aro SS 1LE with VBox testing gear, and after an afternoon of testing, the Camaro emerged victorious. The 1LE was 2.5 seconds faster per lap, with higher cornering grip. Subjectively, the Camaro is easier to drive very fast, with loads of traction and dead-on balance. Only sloppy driving upsets the chassis. It's 426 hp of point-and-shoot simplicity. The Mustang, while a bit slower, is more fun: louder, more engaging, and lighter on its feet. Quick steering inputs, shifting skill, and managing ready oversteer are required to go fast, but that's what makes it good. The SS 1LE wins by the numbers, but the Boss 302 delights the seat of the pants. A perfect contrast to maintain this legendary rivalry.